VOA标准英语2009年-Roof Top Gardening is a Growing Trend in N

By Paige Kollock
New York
28 October 2009

 
New York City
New York is a city notoriously short on space, but also one whose residents are big on innovation. In the Big Apple, the latest trend is rooftop farming. Individuals and restaurants are beginning to grow some of their own food in the only space available to them - their roofs.  While the practice is currently an environmental rather than a financial trend, some companies hope it can become a money-making business model, providing a cheaper alternative to store-bought produce, especially in low income neighborhoods where fresh vegetables are expensive and scarce.

Amber¹ Kusmenko and her boyfriend Louis Kofsky love New York, but they also love farming.  Thanks to the new trend called "rooftop farming," they can experience both. What started as an interest in sustainability has become a rooftop oasis², complete with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and herbs.

 
Amber Kusmenko and Louis Kofsky
After reading books and talking to other growers, the couple learned how to make soil, grow plants, capture rainwater, and trap urban heat. 

"Instead of saying, 'oh one day saying we're goina buy a farm', we said, 'let's start now', and lets start growing and let's start learning," Kofsky says, "so that we have those skills, and that we've made mistakes when we still have a grocery store down the street."

"Also, with so many people on the planet, we can't all have 100 acres," Kusmenko says, "I think there are ways that cities can be green and sustainable and grow a lot of their own food."

Roberta's Pizzeria is a thriving example. In an effort to beautify their unattractive parking lot, the restaurant bought two old railway cars and planted a variety of vegetables on top of them, turning the lot into a garden and seating area.

 
Gwen Schantz
"We supplement the menu in there, and people love it when we say 'this salad came from out back and this basil was grown outside," garden manager Gwen Schantz said.

While Schantz's operation does not provide enough food for the restaurant, she says they are looking to supplement the garden with a bigger rooftop space that will. 

A company called BriteFarm Systems is banking³ on that. It provides rooftop farms to schools, non-profits, and corporations.

 
Benjamin Lindley
Director Benjamin Lindley says, once they are built, rooftop farms can provide cheaper produce. Currently, many fruits and vegetables come from thousands of kilometers away.
"That transportation distance is a problem. It's a problem for the environment, it's a problem for the farmer," he says, "and it's a problem for the consumer because your vegetable is still perishable⁴, and often, by the time the vegetable reaches us here in New York, it's heading towards the end of its shelf life."

The company is working on at least four rooftop farms throughout the city, which it says will be up and running early next year.

1 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。

2 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 perishable   

adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的

参考例句：

• Many fresh foods are highly perishable.许多新鲜食物都极易腐败。
• Fruits are perishable in transit.水果在运送时容易腐烂。